Typewriting machine



Oct. 7, 1941.

W.- O. MICHELSEN TYPEWRITING MACHINE 2 Sheets- Sheet 1 Original Filed March 9, 1939 --1 nw s/vrae W0. Mickelsen. 16

Mmnmyu" III n-usouloluu u lvllltdl-U Patented Oct. 7, 1941 Search R00 TYPEWRITING MACHINE William O. Michelsen, Woodhaven, N. Y., as-

signor to Royal Typewriter Company, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Original application March 9, 1939, Serial No.

260,841. Divided and this application September 5, 1940, Serial No. 355,533

Claims.

This application is a division of my co-pending application Serial No. 260,84l, filed March 9, 1939.

This invention relates to typewriting machines and more particularly to line spacing mechanism therefor. Mechanism embodying the invention is especially adapted for typewriting machines equipped with power-operated carriage return mechanism.

An object of the invention is to provide line spacing mechanism including a manually operable handle or lever which is so mounted and correlated to the typewriter platen and other parts of the line spacing mechanism that it is adapted to yield in the event the operator's hand or some object is caught between the handle and the typewriter frame during return movement of the carriage.

Other objects will become apparent from a reading of the following description, the appended claims, and the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of a typewriter provided with mechanism embodying the invention, certain parts not necessary to be disclosed for aiding in an understanding of the invention claimed herein being omitted;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of a corner of the typewriter key board and showing a carriage return key;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary elevational view of a manually operable line-spacing lever as it appears when looking in the direction of the arrow X in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary elevational view of the manually operable line-spacing lever as seen when looking from the left of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a detail section taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary bottom perspective view of a line-spacing lever handle;

Figure 'l is a detail view of the left end of platen and parts of an associated line-spacing mechanism; and

Figure 8 is a fragmentary rear elevation as,

viewed when looking in the direction of the arrow 8 in Figure 1.

Mechanism embodying the invention may be applied to or incorporated in various kinds of typewriters. For the purposes of illustration, a preferred form of mechanism embodying the invention is shown as being applied to a Royal standard typewriter, the general construction of which is well known. The typewriter includes a main frame or housing generally designated A and a carriage B mounted on the frame for the usual letter-spacing and return movements. A platen I, mounted in the customary manner on the carriage, is equipped with a line-spacing ratchet 2, which is adapted to cooperate with a pawl 3 carried by a line-spacing rock lever l. A spring motor which is not shown and which may be of usual construction is provided for moving the carriage in letter-spacing direction under the control of suitable escapement mechanism (not shown).

A margin stop bar 9 supported on the carriage serves to mount a left margin stop Ill having an adjustable abutment screw l'l arranged to cooperate with a center stop (not shown) for limiting movement of the carriage in the return direction (to the right, as viewed in Figure 1).

The typewriter is equipped with power-operated carriage return mechanism including an electric motor C arranged to drive winding mechanism housed within a casing 42, the winding mechanism being arranged to wind up a. pull band F for effecting power-operated carriage return, and to pay out the pull band to permit the carriage to perform letter-spacing movements under the drive of the usual spring motor previously referred to. The details of the mechanism for winding up and paying out the pull band F and the controls for this mechanism are disclosed fully in the parent application Serial No. 260,841, but are not shown herein, since disclosure of such details is not necessary to an understanding of the invention claimed in this application. Briefly stated, the winding mechanism is operable under control of a carriage return key J (see Figure 2) on an arm I35 carried by a shaft I36 extending into the casing 42. When the key J is depressed the winding mechanism will wind up the band F, pulling it to the right in the direction of the arrow 1; in Figure 1. As is described hereinafter, the band F is connected to the carriage and to line spacing mechanism so that movement of the band in the direction of the arrow 11 will effect line-spacing movement of the platen and return movement of the carriage.

Referring now to the connection between the pull band F and the carriage B through linespacing mechanism, Figures 1 and 8 show an angle plate 235 provided with a leg 236 which is clamped under the tabular stop frame securing nut 231 on the carriage. A lever 238 is pivotally mounted as at 239 on the plate 235, and has its rear end attached by a screw 240 to a connecting piece I at the end of the band F. Also pivoted as at 242 on the plate 235 and overlying the lever 238 is a lever 243 which is urged in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Figure 1, by a spring 244. The lever 243 is formed with a slot 245 into which extends a roller pin 246 carried by the lever 238. The free end of the lever 243 is connected as at 241 to the rear end of a pull rod or link 248, the front end of which is pivotally connected as at 249 to the line-space rock lever 4. When the band F pulls the rear end of the lever 238 toward the right as viewed in Figure 1, the roller 246 will bear against the rear wall of the slot 245 to swing the lever 243 rearwardly, thus pulling the rod 248 rearwardly and rocking the line-spacing rock arm 4 rearwardly (to the left as viewed in Figure 7) so as to effect line-spacing. It is desirable that the carriage be started on its return travel immediately after completion of line-spacing movement of the platen. To this end, means are provided for limiting the swinging of the lever 238 under the pull of the band F. A stop lug on the lever 238 is adapted to engage a stop arm 25! mounted adjustably under the plate 235, one end of the stop arm 25l being clamped under a lock nut 252 for the pivot 242 of the lever 243. The stop arm 25! is formed intermediate its ends with a slot 253 through which extends a locking screw 254. By loosening the lock nut 252 and the locking screw 254, the stop arm 25! can be shifted about the pivot 242 so as to vary the movement of the arm 238 which will take place before the stop lug 258 thereon engages the stop arm 25!. Preferably, a cover 255 is connected to the plate 235 and extends over the levers 238 and 243.

It is desirable at times to effect manual linespacing, and, to provide for such operation, a link 256 has its rear end pivotally connected as at 251 to the line-spacing rock arm 4, and at its front end is formed with a slot 258 which receives a pin 253 carried by the short actuating arm member 263 of a line-spacing lever generally designated 26! pivoted on the carriage by a shoulder screw 262.

In accordance with the present invention, a handle 263, also pivoted as at 262, normally extends substantially transversely to the line of carriage travel and is formed on its lower side with a flat surface or pressure face 264 which is adapted to engage the front edge of the short arm 260 when the handle 263 is moved in a counter clockwise direction, as viewed in Figure 1, so as to move the arm 260 in the same direction, thereby pushing the link 256 and rocking the arm 4 rearwardly to effect manual line-spacing in the usual manner. The handle 263 and short arm 266' of the line-space lever thus are connected by a one-way drive connection 264-268 in order that the handle 263 may yield and move rearwardly to a position in which it extends substantially parallel to the line of carriage travel, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 1 if the operator should catch his or her hand between the handle and the typewriter when the carriage is being moved on its return travel by the motor C. The handle 263 and the arm 26!) should, however, normally be held releasably in the relative positions shown in Figures 1, 3, 4, and 5. To this end a detent device interposed between the handle and arm comprises a rivet 265 fixed to the arm 268 with its head projection disposed to be received by a depression 266 in the lower face of a projection 26'! on the handle 263. A spring washer 268 is disposed under the head of the screw 262 and resiliently urges the arm 26!) and handle part 261 against each other, and is so tensioned as to permit relative separating movement of the arm 260 and handle 263 so as to allow the depression 266 to move relatively away from the head of the rivet 265, thus allowing the handle 263 to swing to the dotted line position shown in Figure l. The pin and slot lost motion connection 259-458 between the link 256 and the arm 26!! permits the link to reciprocate idly during automatic line-spacing without oscillating the line-spacing lever 26 I In order to prevent injury to the band F and possible entanglement of paper with the band and pulley 94, a horizontally disposed guard 269 is attached at one end to the bracket 36 by means of a screw 21!). Adjacent its other end the guard is attached to the usual tabulator finger cover (not shown).

The screw 21!) attaching the right hand end of the guard 269 to the bracket 96 preferably is shouldered so as to serve as a pivot for a swingable paper guide 213. The purpose of the paper guide is to support and prevent the rear overhanging end of a narrow sheet of paper used at the extreme right side of a wide carriage from becoming entangled between and damaged by the rear of the carriage and the carriage return mechanism. The guide 213 is shown in full lines in its operative position in Figure 1, but is movable to an inoperative position as shown in dotted lines in Figure 1. The movement of the paper guide is limited by means of a stop 215.

In operation, when the typing of a line has been completed, the carriage return key J will be depressed, causing the motor C to drive the winding mechanism housed within the casing 42 and to wind up the pull band F, moving it in the direction of the arrow 1 in Figure 1. This causes the lever 238 to be rocked from the position shown in full lines to the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 1, thereby rocking the lever 243 and pulling rearwardly on the link 248 to effect line-spacing movement of the platen I. When the stop ing 25!! on the lever 238 engages the stop arm 25!, continued movement of the band F will move the carriage toward the right. If, during such movement, the operator's hand or any article should be caught between the line-space lever handle 263 and the typewriter frame, the handle will yield and move to the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 1, so that no injury will be done to the operator or the typewriter.

The mechanism disclosed herein embodies the invention in its now preferred form, but various changes may be made in the construction and relative arrangement of the parts without departing from the invention as defined in the claims.

I claim:

1. In a typewriting machine of the class including a frame, a carriage mounted thereon for letter spacing and return movements, power operated means for effecting carriage return movements, and a platen mounted on the carriage for line spacing movements; 2. line spacing lever handle pivotally mounted on the carriage; a line space lever arm also pivotally mounted on the carriage and being operatively connected to the platen; a pressure face on said handle adapted to bear against said arm to move the latter and effect line spacing movement of the platen only when the handle is moved in the carriage return direction, a portion of said handle normally overlapping a portion of said arm; and yieldably urged means interposed between said overlapping portions for releasably maintaining said arm and handle in fixed relative positions.

2. In a typewriting machine of the class includobj ects' being frame; a line caught between said handle and said space actuating member connected to the platen; a one-way drive connection between said handle and said actuating member operative when the forwardly extending end of the handle is moved manually in the direction of carriage return said frame side during power-operated carriage return to permit movement of said handle independently of said actuating member and to a position in which said handle extends substantially parallel to the line of carriage travel, whereby jamming of the article between the handle and frame sides is prevented.

3. In a line-spacing mechanism for typewriting machines, a manually operable lever comprising a pivoted arm; a pivoted handle having a projection normally overlying said arm; a pressure face on said handle adapted to bear against said arm 40 Search R01 to move the latter positively about its pivot only when the handle is rocked the platen for rotating the latter; a lever pivoted coaxially with said arm and including a handle and a part normally overlying and being in facethe platen when the handle is rection: and a spring detent connection between said arm and said overlying handle part.

5. In a line-spacing mechanism for a typewriting machine of the kind including a rotatable platen, a pivoted arm operatively connected to the platen for rotating the latter, a lever pivoted coaxially with said arm and including a handle and a part normally overlying and being in faceto-face contact with said arm; a said handle adapted to bear against said arm to move the latter positively and efl'ect rotation of the platen when the handle is rocked in one direction; a depression in the face of said armoverlying handle part; a projection on said arm adapted to be received in said depression; and spring means resiliently urging said arm and handle part relatively toward each other axially of their common pivot for yieldably constraining said arm and handle to rock together in the direction opposite said one direction.

WILLIAM C. MICHELSEN. 

